Telera Roll, also known as Telera Bread, is a traditional Mexican bread with a flour-dusted crust and two long scores that distinguish it from other types of bread. Its satisfying density allows it to hold up to generously portioned fillings without falling apart. In addition, the mild flavor will allow it to be used in various preparations, as it can complement a wide range of proteins, cheeses, cured meats, and other ingredients.
Jump to:
- What is Telera Roll?
- Telera Roll Ingredients
- Tools you’ll need
- How to Make Telera Roll
- Substitutions
- Variations
- How to Serve
- Additional Suggestions on How to use Telera Bread:
- How to Store & Re-Heat
- Make-Ahead
- How to Freeze
- Tips for Making The Best Telera Roll
- FAQ
- Related Recipes:
- Watch How to Make Telera Roll
- 📖 Recipe
What is Telera Roll?
Telera is a flat, soft roll with a slightly oblong or rounded shape and a flour-dusted crust. It is widely consumed throughout Latin America and is considered a staple. Its signature is two shallow indentations on the top to divide it into three sections. Telera is the bread of choice for tortas, the traditional Mexican sandwiches.
Telera Roll Ingredients
Note: The full instructions are provided in the recipe card below.
- Flour: I strongly recommend using bread flour in this recipe, even though you can use all-purpose flour if you prefer. Using bread flour results in lighter and fluffier bread.
- Water: To avoid killing the yeast, keep the water temperature between 110°F and 115°F.
- Dry Instant yeast: I use Instant yeast in this recipe.
- Kosher salt: It helps tighten the gluten strands that have formed, making the bread stronger. In addition, it enhances the flavor.
- Granulated sugar: Adding sugar to bread helps the yeast produce carbon dioxide faster, allowing for quicker rising times. Sugar also enhances flavor, tenderizes the crumb, increases browning, and retains moisture, extending the bread’s shelf life.
- Shortening: Adding shortening to bread results in a higher rise, a crisper crust, and a longer shelf life.
Tools you’ll need
How to Make Telera Roll
Note: The full instructions are provided in the recipe card below.
Pre-Ferment the yeast:
In a medium bowl, add 1 cup of flour, yeast, and 1 cup of slightly warm water, about 110° F and 115° F; use a kitchen thermometer for accuracy. Using a rubber spatula, mix to combine. Let the yeast mixture sit for about 15 minutes until it doubles in size.
Make the dough & let it Rest:
Combine the remaining flour, sugar, and salt in the center of a clean work surface or a 30 qt. standard weight mixing bowl. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture about 4 inches wide.
Add the yeast mixture and the shortening into the well; use your hand to incorporate the dry mixture into the wet mixture a little at a time until somewhat incorporated. Next, pour in the warm water while using your hand to combine the ingredients into a homogeneous mixture.
Knead the dough until you have a smooth and elastic dough that releases from the work surface or the bowl, about 10 to 15 minutes. If you find your dough sticking to your work surface after kneading it, you can try drizzling a bit of oil rather than flour to help it release itself from the surface.
The oil will create a barrier between the dough and the surface, making it easier to work with. Just be sure to use a light hand when adding the oil, as too much can make the dough greasy and difficult to work with. When the bread dough has been kneaded to the perfect consistency, cover it with a clean kitchen towel and rest for at least 30 minutes or until it’s nearly doubled in bulk.
Divide the dough & Shape it:
Once the dough has rested, gently punch it down, deflating the dough. Divide bread dough into 110g equal pieces. Use a kitchen scale for accuracy. Roll each piece into a ball, lightly coat each in flour, cover with a towel, and let it rest for 5 minutes.
Place one of the dough balls on a surface dusted with flour. Turn the dough over, and use a small fondant rolling pin ( about 1-inch diameter) or your hand to stretch out the dough towards the ends just a bit; this should form a slightly oval shape that is about 5 to 6 inches long, depending on how large you want them to be. Repeat the process with the remaining dough.
Make the Indentations & let it Rest:
Using the fondant rolling pin or a wooden spoon handle, press two deep marks on the long part of the dough, all the way to the bottom without cutting through, visually dividing it into three long sections. Repeat this process twice to achieve the Telera rolls shape with three divisions.
Bake & Cool:
Once the dough has been shaped, place it onto a greased baking sheet pan dusted with flour or lined with parchment paper, cover with a towel and let rise until almost doubled in size, about 25 to 30 minutes. Fifteen minutes before baking your bread dough, preheat your oven to 400 °F, and bake the telera rolls for 20 minutes or until the internal temperature of the bread reaches 190 °F. When the Telera is done, remove them from the baking sheet to cool on a wire rack.
Substitutions
- Flour: Instead of using bread flour, you can use all-purpose flour.
Check out this Bolillo Bread on my website!
Variations
How to Serve
This Telera roll is excellent on its own, but it is also tasty with a smear of honey butter.
Additional Suggestions on How to use Telera Bread:
The following types of sandwiches are perfect for Telera:
- Sandwich de Lomito Completo (Paraguayan Style Steak Sandwich)
- Tenderloin Sandwich
- Pan con Pollo
- Pan con Pavo
- Tenderloin Sandwich with Sweet-Sour honey mustard
How to Store & Re-Heat
Once baked, telera rolls can be stored at room temperature for up to 3 days or 5 days in the refrigerator in a plastic storage bag or wrapped in aluminum foil. To reheat, microwave it until heated through or warm it up in a 350 F preheated oven for 10 to 15 minutes; wrap the bread in aluminum foil to keep the crust soft and tender as it warms up.
Make-Ahead
Telera dough can be made a day ahead, punch down the dough, cover, and refrigerate the dough overnight after the first rise. Then, shape the dough as directed in the recipe and let rise a second time until light and doubled in size, 25 to 35 minutes.
How to Freeze
Allow the baked telera rolls to cool completely on a wire rack before wrapping them in plastic wrap and placing them in a freezer zip-top freezer bag to keep them fresh. Store them in the freezer for up to 3 months. When you’re ready to eat it, gently reheat it from frozen in a preheated to 350°F for 10 to 15 minutes.
Tips for Making The Best Telera Roll
- Kneading: When kneading the bread dough, it is essential to put your body weight into it, get on top of the dough to stretch it, and not tear it.
- Preheat the oven: Remember to preheat it at least 15 minutes before using it.
- Wait for the bread to cool: When it comes out of the oven, it still has a lot of moisture and carbon dioxide. Therefore, it needs time to cool to have a better texture, flavor, and aroma.
- For Fluffier Bread: The bread will be fluffier and richer if the shortening is at room temperature.
- Salt in Bread: Any salt is valid when making bread dough. For example, table salt, kosher salt, sea salt, or grain salt; just make sure it can be dissolved in the dough. If you have very coarse grains, grind them and incorporate them.
- Be careful when adding sugar: Remember not to add more sugar than the recipe calls, as the bread dough may clump together.
- Knead without getting tired: If kneading is too tiring, try kneading for 30 seconds and let the bread dough rest for 5 minutes. Repeat the process. On the third time, when you go to knead, it will seem that someone has kneaded for you. Remember: rest, kneads.
- Fix the bread dough with water: When mixing the ingredients, leave the water for the end and add it as the bread dough asks. That is to say, always fix with water and never with flour because the extra flour you add will be in excess of the yeast and salt.
- Invest in Measuring spoons and Measuring cups: They are precise tools. Be sure to measure the amounts indicated in the recipe to come out very well.
FAQ
What Bread is similar to Telera?
Bolillo Rolls is similar to Telera but has a crusty crust; while telera’s crust is softer, both types of bread are typically used for sandwiches.
What is the difference between telera and bolillo?
Telera roll is a bolillo roll variation; both are very similar. Telera rolls, on the other hand, are typically flatter and sweeter with a softer crust than bolillo rolls, which are oval and less sweet with a more crusty crust. Telera rolls are also slightly oblong or even rounded in shape, making them larger than the oval-shaped bolillo. Telera also has a flour-dusted crust with two shallow indentations on top that divide it into three sections.
What are Telera Rolls used for?
Telera rolls are often used to make Mexican tortas or sandwiches.
What is Telera Roll made of?
Telera rolls are made from wheat flour, yeast, water, salt, and optional ingredients, lard or shortening.
What does Telera roll taste like?
Telera bread has a mild flavor and a touch of sweetness.
What are Mexican torta rolls called?
Mexican tortas are typically made with teleras and bolillos rolls.
How do you know when the Telera roll is ready for shaping?
When the bread dough has been kneaded to the perfect consistency, cover it with a clean kitchen towel and rest for at least 30 minutes or until it’s nearly doubled in bulk. Once the dough has rested, gently punch it down, deflating the dough. Now, it can be shaped.
How long to proof Telera Rolls after shaping?
Once the dough has been shaped, place it onto a greased baking sheet pan dusted with flour or lined with parchment paper, cover with a towel and let rise until almost doubled the size, about 25 to 30 minutes.
How long do you cook Telera Rolls?
Bake Telera in a preheated 400 F oven for 20 minutes or until well browned.
How do you know when the Telera Rolls is done?
A super effective way to know that your bread is ready is to tap it with your knuckles on the bottom and listen for a hollow sound.
How many calories does a telera bread have?
There are approximately 229 calories in one piece of Telera bread.
Related Recipes:
- Rosemary Focaccia bread
- Breadsticks
- Galleta Cuartel
- Galleta Paraguaya
- Sandwich Bread
- Whole Wheat Pita Bread
- Naan Bread
- Challah bread
Watch How to Make Telera Roll
📖 Recipe
Telera Roll
Tools
- Dry measuring cups and spoons
- kitchen thermometer
- Small Fondant rolling pin ( about 1-inch diameter)
Ingredients
For the Dough:
- 875 g ( about 7 cups) bread flour or all-purpose flour
- 452 ml ( about 2 cups) warm water (110⁰F and 115°F), as needed
- 18 g (4 teaspoons) Himalayan or kosher salt
- 34 g ( about 2-1/2 tablespoons) granulated sugar
- 40 g (3 tablespoons) shortening such as Crisco softened to room temperature
For the Pre - Ferment dough:
- 125 g (1 cup) bread flour or all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
- 226 ml ( 1 cup) warm water (110 ⁰F to 115°F)
- 10 g (about 3 teaspoons) instant dry yeast
Instructions
Pre-Ferment the yeast:
- In a medium bowl, add 1 cup of flour, yeast, and 1 cup of slightly warm water, about 110° F and 115° F; use a kitchen thermometer for accuracy. Using a rubber spatula, mix to combine. Let the yeast mixture sit for about 15 minutes until it doubles in size.
Make the dough & let it Rest:
- Combine the remaining flour, sugar, and salt in the center of a clean work surface or a 30 qt. standard weight mixing bowl. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture about 4 inches wide.
- Add the yeast mixture and the shortening into the well; use your hand to incorporate the dry mixture into the wet mixture a little at a time until somewhat incorporated. Next, pour in the warm water while using your hand to combine the ingredients into a homogeneous mixture.
- Knead the dough until you have a smooth and elastic dough that releases from the work surface or the bowl, about 10 to 15 minutes. If you find your dough sticking to your work surface after kneading it, you can try drizzling a bit of oil rather than flour to help it release itself from the surface.
- The oil will create a barrier between the dough and the surface, making it easier to work with. Just be sure to use a light hand when adding the oil, as too much can make the dough greasy and difficult to work with. When the bread dough has been kneaded to the perfect consistency, cover it with a clean kitchen towel and rest for at least 30 minutes or until it's nearly doubled in bulk.
Divide the dough & Shape it:
- Once the dough has rested, gently punch it down, deflating the dough. Divide bread dough into 110g equal pieces. Use a kitchen scale for accuracy. Roll each piece into a ball, lightly coat each in flour, cover with a towel, and let it rest for 5 minutes.
- Place one of the dough balls on a surface dusted with flour. Turn the dough over, and use a small fondant rolling pin ( about 1-inch diameter) or your hand to stretch out the dough towards the ends just a bit; this should form a slightly oval shape that is about 5 to 6 inches long, depending on how large you want them to be. Repeat the process with the remaining dough.
Make the Indentations & let it Rest:
- Using the fondant rolling pin or a wooden spoon handle, press two deep marks on the long part of the dough, all the way to the bottom without cutting through, visually dividing it into three long sections. Repeat this process twice to achieve the Telera rolls shape with three divisions.
Bake & Cool:
- Once the dough has been shaped, place it onto a greased baking sheet pan dusted with flour or lined with parchment paper, cover with a towel and let rise until almost doubled in size, about 25 to 30 minutes. Fifteen minutes before baking your bread dough, preheat your oven to 400 °F, and bake the telera rolls for 20 minutes or until the internal temperature of the bread reaches 190 °F. When the Telera is done, remove them from the baking sheet to cool on a wire rack.
Notes
All nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and is only an estimate. Each recipe and nutritional value will vary depending on the brands you use, measuring methods, and portion sizes per household.
